By: Elizabeth Katsion, Student Nutritionist A certain stigma always accompanies the words, "I am a vegetarian". Questions are almost immediately asked, "why don't you eat meat?", "plants have feelings too" and my personal favorite "but you still eat bacon right?". A little background on myself, I have been a vegetarian (or pescatarian because I eat fish) for almost 4 years. I chose to eat in this way after learning about the conditions in the slaughterhouses, and honestly because I didn't love eating meat anyways. So when I get asked if I miss it, the answer is always an honest no. With all of the vegetarian options in the market today, eating meat-free is simple and delicious. It allows my meals to be more creative, and opens up conversation to a different lifestyle of eating. Here are some common myths about vegetarians/pescatarians: 1. "So how do you get enough protein?"
This is probably the number one question that vegetarians receive. Even though vegetarians don't eat protein in the traditional sense, we still find other ways to supplement our body's needs. For instance, we eat nuts, beans, legumes, and soy and all of these sources in combinations can provide enough protein for our daily requirements. A 3 oz portion of soy (in the form of tofu) supplies around 13 g of protein, and a 3 oz portion of chicken contains 25 g. So while not as protein dense, still supplies protein and fills us up with more bulk without trying to find satisfaction from other food products. 2. "Isn't it boring eating vegetables all the time?" Surprisingly, as a vegetarian it isn't just vegetables all the time. While that is a huge bulk of the diet, being a vegetarian encompasses fruits, grains, dairy, eggs (and in my case fish). This allows for a lot of variety that never gets boring. 3. "But you still eat bacon right?" No. Vegetarianism is an excellent diet with a lot of benefits not only for you but to the environment as well. But I don't want to give you all the juicy information, so I'll leave that for next time!
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ABOUTTerps With Taste is run by the Student Nutritionist Team with University of Maryland Dining Services. We write content for students, by students. Enjoy! Categories
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